
Unmissable Things To Do in London in 2018
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2017 Is Dead, Long Live 2018!
Even-numbered years are always better right (ok, forget 2016) – and 2018 is looking set to be a great year for cabaret, circus, theatre, comedy, festivals, exhibitions, food, fun and frolics galore!
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Cabaret & Circus
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Comedy
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Exhibitions
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Festivals
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Film
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Food & Drink
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Launches & Openings
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Music
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Theatre & Performance Art
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Curios
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Cabaret & Circus
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Crowley & Co.’s The Night | Brasserie Zédel | First Monday of Every Month | 9:15pm | £10
See up-and-coming cabaret acts in the opulent surroundings of Brasserie Zédel’s cabaret room, The Crazy Coqs.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fcrowleynco.com%2Fthe-night%2F||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Bodies (broken 4 u) | Camden People’s Theatre | 30 January | 9pm | £12
The rebellious MEGANDALEX challenge the Catholic Church’s flagrant misogyny with choreography, sickly-sinful confessions and an explosive Eucharist.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cptheatre.co.uk%2Fproduction%2Fbodies-broken-4-u%2F||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Duckie Family Presents: Legacy | Rich Mix | 17 February | 8pm | From £4
Alt. performance purveyors Duckie explore forgotten histories of Queer People of Colour, via the medium of fabulous cabaret (of course)![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.duckie.co.uk%2Fevents%2Fduckie-family||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
CircusFest 2018 | Various Venues | 3 April – 6 May | Times Vary | Prices Vary
CircusFest returns to the Roundhouse in Camden with some high-flying treats including Ellie Dubois’ feminist Edinburgh hit No Show.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.roundhouse.org.uk%2Fwhats-on%2F2018%2Fcircusfest-2018%2F||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Effigies of Wickedness | Gate Theatre | 3 May – 2 June | Times Vary | From £7.50
A very exciting collection of degenerate and ‘shockingly prophetic’ songs as banned by the Nazis in the 1930s. A treat for fans of Weimar cabaret.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gatetheatre.co.uk%2Fevents%2Fall-productions%2Feffigies_of_wickedness||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Circa’s Peepshow | Underbelly Festival Southbank | 27 June – 18 August | Times Vary | From £11.50
Australian circus powerhouse Circa light up the Southbank with their new show. Let’s hope it’s a bit lighter than their last few shows…[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.underbellyfestival.com%2Fwhats-on%2Fpeepshow||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]
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Comedy
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Evelyn Mok: Hymen Maneouvre | Soho Theatre | 5-7 February | 7:15pm | From £10
The award-winning ‘Swedish Amy Schumer’ explores first-generation guilt, intersectionality and adult virginity at our favourite London comedy venue, Soho Theatre.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsohotheatre.com%2Fshows%2Fevelyn-mok-hymen-maneouvre%2F||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Hannah Gadsby: Nanette | Soho Theatre | 5 February – 3 March | 5pm, 7pm | From £14
2017 Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Hannah Gadsby brings her last ever show to the Soho Theatre. Nanette “is a show about learning how you can thrive as a ‘not normal'”.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsohotheatre.com%2Fshows%2Fhannah-gadsby-nanette%2F||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
NAYTS Top of the Bill | Rich Mix | 11 February | 7pm | From £10
A perennial fixture in the To Do List social calendar, the NATYs (New Act of the Year) aims to find the performers “that can, in their own unique way, present a five minute showcase of a longer comedy piece, which represents a bookable, twenty minute routine, and displays a commitment to original comedy performance.”[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.richmix.org.uk%2Fevents%2Fcomedy%2Fnatys-new-act-year-top-bill||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
David Hoyle: Diamond | Soho Theatre | 17-21 April | 9pm | From £10
The indescribably unique David Hoyle returns with “a celebration of survival against overwhelming odds”. Diamond charts David’s rise from gay adolescent in Blackpool, to famous Channel 4 Anti-drag queer cult phenomenon.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsohotheatre.com%2Fshows%2Fdavid-hoyle-diamond-2%2F||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
The League Of Gentlemen Live Again! | The O2 | 23 September | 6pm | From £35
Fresh from their successful return to the TV schedules, the League of Gentleman bring their frighteningly funny troupe of hideous yet hilarious characters back to the stage.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theo2.co.uk%2Fevents%2Fdetail%2Fthe-league-of-gentlemen||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]
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Exhibitions
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Andreas Gursky | Hayward Gallery | 25 January – 22 April | From £14.50
Gursky reopens the newly renovated Hayward Gallery with his epic photographs.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.southbankcentre.co.uk%2Fwhats-on%2Fexhibitions%2Fhayward-gallery-art%2Fandreas-gursky||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
T-SHIRT: CULT – CULTURE – SUBVERSION | Fashion and Textile Museum | 9 February – 6 May | From £9.90
The history of the T-shirt is explored from its roots as underwear to a rebellious rock and roll symbol.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ftmlondon.org%2Fftm-exhibitions%2Ft-shirt-cult-culture-subversion%2F||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Joan Jonas | Tate Modern | 14 March – 5 August | £13.30
Experimental unsung hero, performance & visual artist Joan Jonas has her first UK retrospective.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tate.org.uk%2Fwhats-on%2Ftate-modern%2Fexhibition%2Fjoan-jonas||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Videogames | V&A | From 8 September | Times TBC | Price TBC
Far from retro Pacman exhibits, this exhibition considers the groundbreaking and complex artistic worlds that videogames have created from the mid-2000s to now.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vam.ac.uk%2Fexhibitions%2Fvideogames||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]
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Festivals
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Lumiere London | Multiple Locations | 18-21 January | Times Vary
London’s festival of extraordinary light installations returns for a second outing.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.visitlondon.com%2Flumiere%23OKLba5Ygrg0hYilT.97||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
VAULT Festival 2018 | Waterloo | 24 January – 18 March | Times Vary | Prices Vary
Discover the Vaults under Waterloo station and discover hot upcoming talent in London’s very own underground version of the Edinburgh Fringe.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fvaultfestival.com||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
All Points East | Victoria Park | 25 May – 3 June | Times Vary | Prices Vary
An intriguing lineup from AEG’s new takeover of Hackney’s Victoria Park including Yeah Yeah Yeahs (pictured above at their gig in Brooklyn’s King’s Theatre), Björk and Lorde.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.allpointseastfestival.com||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]
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Film
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Darkest Hour | 12 January
Gary Oldman is getting plenty of awwards buzz for his transformative performance as Winston Churchill, in this historical drama-cum-thriller from director Joe Wright (Atonement).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Downsizing | 24 January
Director Alexander Payne (Sideways, The Descendants) returns with this satirical sci-fi set in a near-future where people can have themselves shrunk to live a better life…[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Annihilation | 23 February
A sci-fi horror from Ex Machina director Alex Garland, which sends a group of unprepared explorers into an environmental disaster zone. And they’re not alone.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Proud Mary | 23 March
Taraji P. Henson is Mary Goodwin, a hitwoman who makes an unlikely friend when a hit goes wrong.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Isle of Dogs | 30 March
It feels far too long since Wes Anderson’s last film (2014’s Grand Budapest Hotel), so hopefully this stop-motion animation about a group of dogs in a dystopian future Japan will be worth the wait.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
Don’t miss our upcoming 2018 Film Preview for more unmissable films in, erm, 2018!
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Food & Drink
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Veganuary – A Middle Eastern Vegan & Gluten Free Feast | East Finchley | 19 January | 7pm | £27.50
New kids on the pop-up wagon Gouldfingers are two sisters on a mission to bring beautiful vegan food to your plate.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fgrubclub.com%2Fgouldfingers%2Fgouldfingers-veganuary-a-middle-eastern-vegan-and-gluten-free-feast%2F21501||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]
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Launches & Openings
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Hackney Arts Centre
Hidden deep in Hackney lies an abandoned Art Deco cinema. We hope that 2018 is the year it is reopened – to inspire a new generation – as Hackney Arts Centre.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hackneyartscentre.org||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
East Wall (part of LIFT 2018) | Tower of London
World-renowned choreographer Hofesh Shechter is let loose directing a new spectacular featuring new talent at the Tower of London. The show is part of London International Festival of Theatre 2018.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eastlondondance.org%2Fprojects%2Feast-wall%2F||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Boxpark Wembley
Shoreditch’s ‘pop-up’ mall concept Boxpark adds another satellite (after Croydon), bringing the British swagger of street food and boutiques to the outdated American ‘mall’ concept.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boxpark.co.uk%2Fwembley%2F||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]
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Music
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The Whitney Houston Show | Eventim Apollo | 17 April | 8pm | From £29.50
Celebrate the music of soul diva Whitney Houston with Belinda Davids accompanied by the sensational 30-piece National Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eventim.co.uk%2Ftickets.html%3Ffun%3Derdetail%26doc%3Derdetaila%26erid%3D1942973%26affiliate%3DAAX||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]
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Theatre & Performance Art
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The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk | Wilton’s Music Hall | 17 January – 10 February | 7:30pm (2:30pm Matinees) | From £22.50
Kneehigh visionary Emma Rice directs this tale of Marc and Bella Chagall.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wiltons.org.uk%2Fwhatson%2F395-the-flying-lovers-of-vitebsk||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Songs for Nobodies | Wilton’s Music Hall | 21 March – 7 April | Times Vary | From £20
Linking 5 ordinary ‘nobodies’ and the legendary songs of Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf and Maria Callas, Bernadette Robinson is bound to blow the roof off Wilton’s Music Hall.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwiltons.org.uk%2Fwhatson%2F400-songs-for-nobodies||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical | Aldwych Theatre | From 21 March | 7:30pm (2:30pm Matinees) | From £10
The official Tina Turner jukebox musical gets its world premiere in London. [/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Ftinathemusical.com%2F||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Coraline | Barbican Theatre | 29 March – 7 April | 7pm (2pm Matinees) | From £10
Mark-Anthony Turnage adapts Neil Gaiman’s offbeat tale of Coraline.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barbican.org.uk%2Fwhats-on%2F2018%2Fevent%2Fthe-royal-opera-coraline||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Mark Thomas: Showtime from the Frontline | Theatre Royal Stratford East | 10-21 April | 7:30pm (2:30pm Matinees) | From £10
Agit-pop comedian Mark Thomas reflects on creating a comedy club in the heart of Palestine.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stratfordeast.com%2Fwhats-on%2Fall-shows%2Fmark-thomas-showtime-from-the-frontline||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
Unexploded Ordnances (UXO) | Barbican – The Pit | 15-19 May | 7:45pm | £18
A tour de force by alt. performance pioneers Split Britches (Lois Weaver and Peggy Shaw). The show will ‘combine a Dr Strangelove-inspired performance with a daring forum for public conversation, explore ageing, anxiety, hidden desires and how to look forward when the future is uncertain.’.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.barbican.org.uk%2Fwhats-on%2F2018%2Fevent%2Fsplit-britches-unexploded-ordnances-uxo%3FID%3D21437||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]
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Curios
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Late Night Library Club – The Line of Beauty | Sutton House | 3 February | 7pm | From £21.50
The National Trust’s Sutton House hosts an exploration of The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst with queer tours, Starkers Life Drawing and a Q&A with Alan Hollinghurst himself.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”More Info” color=”primary” size=”sm” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eventbrite.co.uk%2Fe%2Flate-night-library-club-the-line-of-beauty-tickets-35590170157%3Fref%3Deios%26aff%3Deios||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”MoreInfo”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]
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Did we miss the perfect 2018 event or opening? Let us know and we’ll do our best to add it in!
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I am Joint Editor at To Do List. I like free, cheap & offbeat London, especially: cabaret, art, theatre, pop-ups, eating out, quirky films, museums, day trips, social enterprise & much more.